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ELFENWURL
Page 1
By Donald Sullivan
Willy O'Toole woke up with a throbbing headache. His mouth was hot and dry and tasted like the bottom of a garbage can. His blanket of newspapers slid off as he rose from the park bench and swung his feet to the ground. He reached for the bottle under the bench and groaned when he discovered it was empty.
His shaking hands dropped the bottle, and it shattered as it hit the concrete walk. He gazed around. It was still early and the park was empty. There were no prospects to hit up for spare change to get another bottle of wine; he'd have to leave the park and hit the streets.
He picked up his knapsack which contained all his meager possessions: a change of clothing and a few personal items. As he turned to leave, he was startled to hear a voice behind him.
"Looks like you could use a drink, m'lad. A little hair of the dog, maybe?"
Willy spun around, causing his aching head to throb even more. A man was standing there, proffering a bottle to him. He'd just looked around; nobody had been there a moment ago. The man looked to be from the streets, but Willy had never seen him before. He stared at the man.
"Sorry if I startled you," the man said. He spoke in a strange, lilting accent, which was unfamiliar to Willy.
"No problem. Guess I didn't see you come up." Willy wondered how he could have missed the man. He held out his hand. "My name's Willy."
"They call me Clancy. Now then, how about a little drink to celebrate our new friendship?"
"You betcha." With trembling hands, Willy took the bottle and raised it to his lips. He took a long pull and felt a slight burning sensation as the liquid slid down his throat. When it hit his stomach, he felt as if the top of his head would blow off. And then he felt great.
His headache evaporated. The foul taste in his mouth disappeared. Even his hands stopped trembling. He felt a warm, pleasant glow coming over him. He felt wonderful, and from just one little drink. "Wow! What was that stuff?"
Clancy winked. "The elves made it. Cures hangovers. Makes you feel good, but never makes you drunk." Clancy held out another bottle. "If you think that was good, try a little of this."
Willy took the second bottle and raised it to his lips. This one tasted bland and had no kick. But after taking a sip of the drink, he looked around to see that Clancy had vanished. So had the bench, the walk, and the park itself. Willy now stood in a beautiful, enchanting forest glade.
*****
A small elf-like creature stood where Clancy had been standing. The little man was about knee-high to Willy. What the devil had Clancy given him to drink? Had he slipped some LSD or other mind-bending drug into the bottle?
"What...I mean...where's Clancy?"
"You're lookin' at him. And in just a moment, you'll shrink down to the same size as me."
Clancy had no sooner spoken than Willy felt himself shrinking. In seconds, he was eye-to-eye with Clancy. "What the devil's going on? Where is this place? What did you give me to drink?"
"You've got an explanation coming, and I'll give it to you straight. What I'm about to say will shock you, m'lad, so steady yourself. The first bottle I gave you was just what I said it was. The second bottle was a magic potion prepared by The Keeper, ruler of the Wee Folk.
"The Keeper's potion worked to transport you from your own world into this one. You're now in Elfenwurl, the realm of The Wee Folk: elves, fairies and the like. Elfenwurl lies in a different dimension from that of the world that you know."
"But...why on earth..."
"If you'll be quiet I'll explain. Wee Folk can't procreate, so we must bring in new recruits from time to time to replenish our numbers. We live for eons, but we're not immune to death by accident.
"You're a recruit, you've been chosen to join us."
"You brought me here against my will." Willy moved toward Clancy menacingly. "You kidnapped me, and you'd better get me back or you'll be one sorry little elf."
Clancy stepped back. "There's no goin' back, Willy. You're in Elfenwurl to stay. Only elves like me, who have a special talent, can travel back and forth between worlds. All others must use The Keeper's potion, and the potion is only good for a one-way trip to Elfenwurl. You don't have the talent, Willy, so you'd best resign yourself to stayin'."
"I warned you, man." Willy lunged, but abruptly found himself unable to move.
"I've bound you with magic, m'lad. I'm lettin' you loose, but try that again and I'll bind you for keeps. You'd best hear me out."
"You win," said Willy. "Go ahead."
"It's not as bad as it seems to you now. Many of The Wee Folk were once mortals, but they're now livin' happily among us. You'll soon be one of us. Your conversion will be complete when The Keeper decrees it."
"The keeper? What do you..."
"The Keeper rules us. She is the keeper of The Book of Enchantment, which gives her supreme power and authority over us. The Book gives all The Wee Folk magic powers, but no one can match the power of The Keeper. Each individual also has two special talents--granted by The Book--that few others have, such as me own talents to travel between worlds and to shape shift.
"When The Keeper declares you to be one of us, you'll be endowed with magic powers plus your two special talents. Nobody, not even The Keeper, knows what special talents The Book will give you." Clancy chuckled. "Who knows, maybe one of your special talents will be to travel between dimensions, like I do. Have you any questions?"
"Are you saying that you are the only elf with the power to travel between dimensions?"
"Sure, and there are others with the talent, but we are few. In times past, there were many of us. Elves, fairies, sprites, and other Wee Folk traveled to your world. We were then well known to the people of your world, but now we are but a myth to your people."
"Why me?" Willy asked. "Why the devil did you pick me as a recruit?"
"Because of your situation. Beggars, drunks, and the like have few friends. You'll not likely be missed."
Willy nodded. "I'll sure buy that."
"If you've no more questions, I'll take you to meet Lara, The Keeper."
*****
Lara dismissed Clancy. The elf bowed and left. She sat high on her throne, looking down at Willy. Willy had seen no ugliness among The Wee Folk; apparently they worked magic to become beautiful. But even among The Wee Folk, the beauty of the raven-haired, violet-eyed Lara stood out.
Lara spoke, interrupting his thoughts. "I don't believe in long speeches or ceremony. Willy O'Toole, you were brought to Elfenwurl for one reason: to become one of us. In so doing, you will become an elf of the realm and acquire magic powers."
She studied him. "You're a handsome one. Most mortals who come before me are unsightly vagrants. They all choose to change their looks after I transform them. If I may say so, in your case that won't be necessary." She laughed. "But you should get rid of that stubble."
She placed her right hand on The Book. "Willy O'Toole, I declare you to be an Elf of the Realm." At these words, Willy felt a wave of power surging through his body. He was now one of The Wee Folk--and he immediately knew what his two special talents were. One of those talents gave him the ability to conjure up magical potions from thin air--a rare talent, but not considered an especially useful talent in Elfenwurl. But the other talent was very, very special, and Willy could see that Lara recognized that talent.
Her eyes widened. "Now there are two of us," she said, "two of us with the talent to control The Book."
"But that would seem meaningless," Willy observed, "since you are already in control."
"It is anything but meaningless," she said. "The Book itself decrees what will happen in such a situation. The presiding Keeper must step down, and the new Keeper must assume control of The Book. That is how I came to be The Keeper of The Book many years ago. Like it or not, Willy O'Toole, you are the new ruler of The Wee Folk."
*****
It wasn't difficult. The Book of Enchantment guided him. It told him how to rule. It guided him in making decisions. When a question came to his mind, he only had to place his hand on The Book and ask. The Book would send the answer to his mind. And The Book gave him power--a greater power than any other elf in the realm.
*****
Several days after Willy gained control of The Book, Clancy came to visit him.
"So you really are the new Keeper. I must say, that's an unexpected turn of events. I was quite surprised when I heard the news."
Willy noted that Clancy did not bow, nor did he observe the customary courtesies the other Wee Folk displayed in the presence of The Keeper. Indeed, his manner was downright rude.
"Lara was a great Keeper," he went on, "and it's a shame that we lost her. Frankly, m'lad, I don't think you've got it in you to be the Keeper."
Willy was taken aback. What the devil did Clancy have up his sleeve? Why would he risk angering The Keeper--the most powerful being in the realm?
"What are you getting at, Clancy? Think you'd like to take The Book from me? Think you can control it?"
"I realize that I don't have the talent to control The Book. But I do have the power to take it from you--and return it to Lara."
Was Clancy working with Lara's backing? Had she retained some secret control of The Book?
"Just how do you think you'll take it from me Clancy? If Lara's given you some kind of power, remember that I still control The Book. And I'll use it to fight you both."
Clancy laughed. "You don't know Lara. She would never stoop to become involved in the kind of things I do. Her hands are clean. But I don't mind gettin' me hands dirty in a good cause. And when I get rid of you, she'll never know how or why you disappeared. She'll have no choice but to resume her role as Keeper."
So Lara wasn't involved after all. Apparently Clancy simply resented a newcomer taking the throne. But did his resentment blind him to the consequences of his foolhardy actions?
"You're getting in deeper and deeper, Clancy. You must know that I can strip you of your powers and have you booted out of the realm."
"It's you that'll get booted out, m'lad. I have a secret power that I haven't divulged to anyone up to now. During me travels throughout many worlds, I learned a trick from a great and powerful wizard. With a snap of me fingers, I can send anyone--yourself included--off to a horrible world, never to be seen again." He held out his hand, thumb pressed against middle finger.
"Remember that The Book protects me," said Willy. "Your power will backfire on you. It's you that will end up on this horrible world."
Clancy laughed. "I know a little about The Book, m'lad. Yes, The Book will protect you, but it must know what to protect you from. It's certain that The Book can defeat any magic in Elfenwurl, including magic brought in from any other world. But The Book must first recognize that it's a new magic, and then take steps to deal with it. I've never used this power, and therefore it is still unknown to The Book.
"Once I use the power, The Book will instantly become aware of it and take steps to deal with it, after which I'll no longer be able to use this power. But by then, it'll be too late for you--you'll be enjoyin' the nice, cool climate of a distant world. And furthermore, The Book will have no record of what happened to you, because by the time The Book realizes there's a new magic to deal with, you'll be gone. And since you'll no longer be in Elfenwurl, The Book won't know your whereabouts."
Clancy chortled. "By the way, did I mention that there are certain properties on this world you're about to visit that will weaken your powers? Only your two special powers will remain intact, but they'll do you little good."
If Clancy was telling the truth, then Willy figured that his only solution was to command The Book to seek out Clancy's power and nullify it before Clancy had a chance to use it. He placed his hand on The Book.
"I know what you're up to m'lad." Clancy snapped his fingers. "Have a good trip."
To page 2...(conclusion)
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